News Releases

(Boston, Mass. – Nov. 19, 2010) – EPA has signed a Unilateral Administrative Order, requiring Gillingham Road, LLC to refrain from installing any new groundwater wells or pumping any currently installed groundwater wells on property located northwest of the Mottolo Pig Farm Superfund Site in Raymond, N.H. The UAO serves to prevent the release of hazardous substances because the property is located in an area where new groundwater use is likely to draw site contamination into new or existing wells.

The order follows a Record of Decision Amendment issued by EPA on Sept. 22, 2010, which will add an extension of the Town of Raymond public water supply main approximately two miles to provide public water to approximately 25 residences.

The Mottolo Pig Farm, previously owned and operated by Richard Mottolo, has been on EPA’s Superfund list since 1987 following completion of a removal action on site. The pig farm was used as a disposal location by the owner until 1979, who disposed of drums and pails containing hazardous waste into a one-quarter acre depression at the site. Work by EPA and the N.H. Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES) has also included several additional cleanup actions as well as long term water monitoring on and around the site. Recent results of the groundwater monitoring found elevated levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) and arsenic in some residential drinking wells. The September Record of Decision Amendment served to address continuing water contamination issues in these residential wells.

Gillingham Road, LLC is the owner of property located on Blueberry Hill Road near the site. The property has been subdivided for residential development of 35 lots. Despite prior communications from EPA and NHDES notifying Gillingham Road, LLC that use of the groundwater under the property would likely cause contaminated groundwater to migrate toward the property, Gillingham Road, LLC has proceeded to install wells on the property and purge them for testing. Prior to the effective date of the Order, Gillingham Road, LLC will have an opportunity to request a conference with EPA, on any matter pertinent to the Order.